The gods of Random.org have crowned Rebecca Karger, a student at Horace Greeley High School, winner of our Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 set. This is what Rebecca had to say about what she'd do with the set:

If I had this kit, I'd take it with me to college next year, and build a robot that could go down the hall of my dorm to deliver a note to a friend. And probably 500 different other things. I was on an FLL team in middle school that went to the international competition, but it was the year BEFORE the NXT kits came out! I remember seeing a demo and being highly impressed, but my parents say the kits are too expensive.

Rebecca: so yeah, your FB settings are kinda restrictive. You're going to have to get in touch with me if you want the prize. I'm at facebook.com/nerd1.

If you have to ask why... Well, just don't ask why. [Spotted on the MAKE Flickr pool]

(BTW: This is a cracker box amp, a la the project in MAKE Volume 09)

Schlitz Amp

Looking to take a break from tinkering on your latest project this weekend? Here are some fine maker events to check out, from The Maker Events Calendar. Wish your event was on the list? Add it to the calendar!

Coming up this week:

Craft Night @HackPittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Friday, Mar 12, 2010, 7pm - 9pm

Maker Faire Newcastle
Newcastle, UK
Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 - Sunday, Mar 14, 2010

Arduino / Project Night @The Transistor
Provo, UT
Saturday, Mar 13, 2010, 5pm - 8pm

Breadboard Arduino Classes at All-Con 2010
Addison, TX
Saturday, Mar 13, 2010, 2pm - 4pm

Introduction to Electronics @Metrix Create Space
Seattle, WA
Sunday, Mar 14, 2010, 2pm - 4:30pm

AVR Programming Class @HacDC
Washington, DC
Sunday, Mar 14, 2010, 6pm - 7:30pm, then repeats

Project Lab with Expert Included
Berkeley, CA
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010, 3pm - 6pm

Drop-in Arduino and Electronics classes
Berkeley, CA
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010, 7pm - 9pm

Take Apart Tuesdays @Crash Space
Culver City CA
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010, 8:30pm - 9:30pm

Start planning for:

Dorkbot SoCal 39
Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, Mar 20, 2010, 1pm - 3pm

Arduino NYC Meetup
New York, NY
Saturday, Mar 20, 2010, 12pm - 6pm

Bob Ross Paint-Along 2 @i3Detroit
Royal Oak, MI
Saturday, Mar 20, 2010, 2pm - 4pm, 4pm - 6pm, 6pm - 8pm

Using Transistors @Metrix Create Space
Seattle, WA
Sunday, Mar 21, 2010, 2:30pm - 4:30pm

Handmade Music: Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN
Thursday, Mar 25, 2010, 7pm - 12pm

I've never seen a trailer like this - perhaps it wasn't road safe or something, but it would be wonderful to (re)make - via LoL.

The Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technology of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those just slightly off to the side). Every other Wednesday, we look at retro-tech, "lost" technology, and the make-do, improvised "street tech" of village artisans and tradespeople from around the globe. "Lost Knowledge" was also the theme of MAKE Volume 17

Ever since we humans started making shadow puppets in the firelight of our caves, we've been fascinated by the power of the projected image. It seems only fitting that, for DIY Movie Making Month, we'd take a look at magic lanterns, some of our first technological baby steps that have delivered us to the age of Avatar.

What is a magic lantern? It's basically a 17th century pre-cursor to the slide, and then movie, projector. The Magic Lantern Society defines a magic lantern as:

...an appliance by means of which transparencies are projected by artificial light upon a screen with the projected image having a diameter generally from thirty to eighty times greater than that of the transparency or slide, whilst the area of the image may be from one thousand to six thousand times as great.

Magic lanterns grew on the developments of magic shadow shows (i.e. shadow puppets), camera obscura, magic mirrors, and other earlier optics and projection techniques. The period of the magic lantern spanned from the mid-17th century to the late 19th. While there is no clear inventor of the device, Dutch astronomer, mathematician, and physicist, Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695), with his lenses designed for use in telescopes, is probably the closest thing to a father of the technology.